Lauren Child, the author-illustrator of the much loved Charlie and Lola books, has been named the new Waterstones children’s laureate, succeeding fellow author and illustrator Chris Riddell to the two-year post.

In the lead-up to the announcement of her appointment on Wednesday, Child took the opportunity to criticise the pressure on parents to oversee all of their children’s time.

“I will be talking a lot about the need for children to be allowed to be creative, without being micromanaged and directed,” said Child, whose work also includes the Clarice Bean picture books and Ruby Redfort novels.